Bioshifter

Since everyone has apparently agreed to collectively ignore the fact that the world is ending, our journey resumes with only moderate urgency. We are, on one hand, chasing a dangerous, murderous criminal who needs to be stopped as soon as possible. On the other hand, Sindri is already confident that we have them cornered. They're here on this branch, which means we're between them and the trunk. It's only a matter of time before we either catch up or drive them to the edge of the branch where they can't run anymore anyway.

How do you know where they are, by the way? I ask.

I'm an animal tamer, remember? Sindri reminds me. I have a pair of birds tracking our target. I can send and receive very basic information from them over a very long distance. They're my only two assistants right now, but since we've made it to the branch we'll be facing our foe on it's time for me to collect allies in earnest.

I hope that doesn't mean I'm going to have to fight a bunch of monsters.

Fighting shouldn't be required with me around, Sindri says, a little smugly. Though there's always the possibility of bandits, I suppose.

Kagiso bobs her head back and forth slightly, making a humming noise and causing me to swing precariously around. I endure it. I'm starting to get used to being six times my body height up in the sky all the time. I do get revenge, however, by pinching Kagiso's long ears between two legs each and tugging each of them back and forth. She squeaks in protest.

There's no need for glum talk of battle! Teboho laughs. We will be ready if it comes. Hannah, why don't you cease torturing my poor sister and work on your letters with me? Or I could teach you more about magic!

Magic, I answer immediately. Literacy is awesome but magic is awesomer. This is simply an undisputed fact of the universe. I've gotten the name of every kind of magic, but not the description, and some of the magic types seem a bit esoteric. Also, I think you mentioned something about complementary forms of magic? What's up with that?

Ah, yes! Teboho nods happily, summoning a stone tablet with what looks like a carving of a spoked wheel on it. At the end of each spoke is a word and a symbol, though of course I can't read any of it. So! Think of it as though every kind of magic rests on the edge of this wheel here. Order, Pneuma, Art, Motion, Light, Heat, Chaos, Death, Matter, Barrier, Space, Transmutation, and finally looping back around to Order again. The two forms of magic on either side of any given type are its complements. So Order is complemented by Pneuma and Transmutation, Light is complemented by Motion and Heat, and Matter is complemented by Barrier and Death. With me so far?

I think so, I admit. What do complements do?

A few things. You'll slightly resist the elements which complement any elements you oppose, but the effect is minor. More importantly is the fact that you can learn other people's spells if they complement your elements, as long as you know the true name of the spell. Spells copied from other people in this manner are substantially weaker than the original, but there are a lot of helpful spells that don't rely very much on power.

Ah, yes, that's right, Sindri chimes in. I was going to teach you Aura Sight, Hannah. My magic, Pneuma, complements Order, and Aura Sight is one of the best Pneuma spells to know. Very useful for determining how dangerous an opponent is and what their likely capabilities are, not to mention some hints on their personality.

Do people's personalities show up in their aura somehow? I ask hesitantly.

No, people's personalities are reflected by the magic they have, Teboho explains. The Mother gifts us magic that fits who we are. You are an orderly person that often needs space to herself, are you not?

I wriggle uncomfortably.

I mean, yeah, I guess.

Don't be ashamed! Teboho reassures me, laughing. My Matter magic opposes Art, and guess what I don't have a lick of talent at?

Teboho singing against law back in village, Kagiso comments blandly.

Ha! Yes, the chief did ban me from doing so, didn't she? Teboho agrees with a bittersweet smile. The point is, it's useful information to know.

Well, give me the rundown then, I guess, I sigh. I'm not so sure about this magical profiling stuff, it feels kind of… horoscope-y. It's too vague to be useful. Who doesn't need space to themselves from time to time? You could apply that to anybody!

Right then, where to start… I suppose Order is the standard place. It's at the top of the circle here, with Chaos all the way at the bottom. As we've mentioned before, Order is the magic of complexity, meaning, and systems. Most notably it encompasses healing magic, as all living things are impossibly complex constructions of the Mother. That's far from its only use, of course: some Order mages are born with impossibly keen minds, capable of putting together disparate facts or complicated equations in moments. Others get magic revolving around directing a community or building complex structures. Order magic is fundamentally helpful, however, and almost always shines best in conjunction with other people. Conversely, Chaos magic is entirely about destruction. It is volatile, difficult to control, and harmful to all life. Chaos magic is about scrambling, randomizing, and mashing something until it is utterly unrecognizable, reduced to uselessness. For obvious reasons, it is reviled.

I send a few mental confirmations that I'm listening, but don't speak. I feel like Teboho is getting into lecture mode, so I let him continue talking without interrupting. I wish I had something to take notes on.

Pneuma is the magic of the soul, he continues. Specifically, the magic of the living soul, encompassing mind, thought, personality, breath, self-image, will, and to some extent, our connection to magic itself. The soul is where our magic arises from, so the rare Pneuma mage can manipulate that connection, strengthening or weakening it. Most, however, dwell within the realm of the mind, be that reading minds or influencing them. Pneuma mages tend to be somewhat controlling, no offense intended, of course.

None taken, Sindri answers easily.

Pneuma opposes Death, the magic of corruption, subsumption, and unlife. Like Pneuma, Death mages influence the soul directly, but rather than manipulate its connection to the living body, their spells pervert the soul, ripping it from where it belongs and using it for foul and selfish intentions. They can create unliving servants, weaken the body and mind, or just outright kill. Death complements Chaos, which is another mark against it to be sure, but it is also a perfectly natural part of life, and an… acceptable form of magic. I would not go so far to say it is well-liked, of course, and the tendency of Death mages to be incredibly selfish does little to assist with that.

Next we have Art, complement to Pneuma and Motion. It is the magic of emotion, sound, and beauty. Art magic is as esoteric and varied as art itself, though it often requires the active presence and practice of art to be used: singing, painting, sculpting, dancing… these things accompany the use of Art magic and its effects on the world. To be affected by Art magic, you must be affected by art itself, and upon being moved by beauty you are moved in a magical sense as well. Art mages can incite certain emotional states, empower or weaken those who behold their work, or just shatter your eardrums with a blast of sound. Art mages tend to be self-conscious and somewhat flighty.

The opposition to Art is Matter, and while I may be somewhat biased I daresay Matter is the most straightforward form of magic there is. There are no complexities like there are in Art, it creates matter and very little else. Some people can only create certain kinds of matter, some people can only create certain amounts, some people make matter that disappears on its own, and some people—like myself—have only a certain amount of matter that can form at any given time, and can remove anything we create at will. Matter complements Death and Barrier, and as their centerground its creations are lifeless and inert. Like the magic itself, we Matter mages tend to be rather uncomplicated individuals, focused and blunt.

Huh. That's interesting. So Teboho has a limit to the amount of matter he can produce at once. Is that how his magic avoids conservation of energy problems? It's still an absurd amount of energy, though. Plus he just said not all Matter mages have that restriction. Gah, magic is so crazy! I can't decide if that's frustrating or cool!

Next, we have Motion, which rests between Art and Light. It is also relatively self-describing: it is the magic of momentum, velocity, acceleration… it moves things! Motion mages tend to be impatient and easily distracted.

Kagiso blinks slowly, radiating disapproval.

…But they're also quick and decisive thinkers, good at accomplishing things efficiently! Teboho quickly adds. Motion opposes Barrier, the magic of halting, limiting, preventing, weakening, and warding. Barrier magic focuses not on enacting one's own will on the world, but denying others and protecting the caster. It is steady, sturdy, and fundamentally defensive. The types of effects they can produce are varied and powerful, but also stationary. Barrier mages tend to be resolute and determined.

…Obstinate and stubborn, Kagiso corrects, causing Teboho to laugh awkwardly.

Anyway, next we have Light, Teboho continues. It focuses on the manipulation of light itself, of course, and also lightning as I'm sure you're aware. More esoterically, however, some Light mages can manipulate magnetic objects as well.

Well they can do lightning so that makes sense, I agree. It's all electromagnetism. Which is probably what the category of magic should be called, by the sound of it.

Pardon? Teboho asks.

Don't bother trying to explain electromagnetism to the dentron, Sindri says wryly. Believe me, we've tried. Though I am very curious to learn where you hail from, to know about that but not write in any language I've seen before.

…A story for another time, I think, I deflect. Please continue, Teboho.

Yes, of course, Teboho agrees. Anyway, Light mages can damage and destroy things with burning sun rays and lightning, of course, but they can also create fantastic illusions, render themselves invisible, and countless other tricky effects. Light mages tend to be optimistic and upbeat, yet struggle to form deeper connections. Light opposes Space—the vast and infinite gulf through which not even light is fast enough to travel. I'm sure you're quite familiar with Space magic, but for completeness' sake: Space covers dimensional movement, teleportation, and occasionally gravity. Unlike Motion which allows people and objects to get from place to place very quickly, Space magic moves the concept of 'place to place' itself, having no effect on those actually doing the moving. Space mages tend to frequently swap between needing close interpersonal contact and strict alone time.

…Hey. What? Okay, that hits pretty hard, actually. I'll die without being able to hang out with my friends, but I'll also die if I have to hang out with people too often. I don't like being called out there.

Next up is Heat magic, which is the second complement to Chaos and therefore not well-liked. It is destructive, as while heating and cooling things is certainly capable of being used for mundane purposes, with enough power any change in temperature is a deadly one. Heat mages manipulate fire and ice, certainly, but also the more invisible aspects of their craft. They tend to be impatient and impulsive.

Finally, we have the last form of magic: Transmutation, your third naturalborn element. It is a complement to Order, but where Order focuses on making things how they should be, to whatever degree that is perceived, Transmutation is about how things could be. Where Order is structure, Transmutation is improvement. It is the magic of evolution, alteration, and actualization. Shapeshifting is the most common form of the magic, though more permanent changes like yours aren't unheard of. It's possible your species hasn't been seen before because you're one-of-a-kind: some other creature, animal, or person that was changed by your magic into who you are today. Or by someone else's, I suppose. Transmutation mages are creative and brilliant, but tend to struggle to fit in with society.

Ah, see, there's the weak link. None of that sounds like me. I have been working my ass off to fit in with society and I feel like I was doing a pretty darn good job until Transmutation magic itself strolled in and started making problems. That's a self-fulfilling prophecy, not any part of my personality. I'm getting straight A's, I'm working a job and a half, I'm making a little nest egg so I can go through university without indebting myself for life, I'm going to graduate with a good degree and find a nice girl to marry and adopt a kid with or whatever. I don't smoke or drink or do drugs or really break any laws at all. Other than the homosexuality I am a prim and proper American woman, and even the gay stuff is rapidly (and correctly) being accepted as okay in… well, parts of the country that aren't mine. But I can just move to a better place and it'll be fine! That was my plan, to fit in and work hard and get rich and hopefully find some way to be happy with the money I make ten years from now. And sure, I'm miserable now and I'll be miserable until then, but you don't get good things without putting in the work for them. The magic messed everything up, and then the magic says I don't fit into society well? Nuh-uh. Now all my plans are screwed because nobody's gonna hire a fourth-dimensional bug lady to be a department manager and basically everything I've done in preparation for that future is now worthless. I'm just glad I'm too busy worrying about the fourth-dimensional bug lady bits to panic all that much about the plans-are-ruined bits. Honestly, I haven't really had time to care about any of that.

…Hmm. Well, uh, let's not start now, shall we? I have plenty of more important things to worry about. Like that magic!

So every kind of spell is one of those elements, right? I prompt.

One or more! Teboho corrects. People like you and me that have more than one element often have spells which use multiple elements simultaneously. The spell I use to conjure protective walls, for example, is both Matter and Barrier, the Barrier element of the spell making the walls significantly more durable than mundane material would be otherwise. Though my spells are relatively boring in that manner. You will no doubt see more unique and exciting magic when we reach [location, destination, proper noun].

Sorry, what was the name for that? I ask.

"Grawlaka," he rumbles out loud, the first syllable animalistic and guttural.

That sounds like what you'd name a tiger king, not a city, I comment. But alright.

Grawlaka is one of the largest city-states on this branch, Sindri explains. They're a couple leaves ahead of here, and while our quarry is almost certainly going to avoid the area, it's still an ideal place for us to rest and obtain supplies. It's a beautiful city, I'm sure you'll like it.

What if our quarry doesn't avoid the area? I ask hesitantly. A chaos mage entering a major city sounds bad.

Then our job becomes significantly easier, as they will be slaughtered by the city's defenders without us having to lift a finger, Sindri answers easily. Cities of that size keep a careful eye on those trying to enter, and while Chaos mages are undoubtedly dangerous, they aren't dangerous enough to survive the combined efforts of a major militia.

Well, I guess that's reassuring, I admit. Why don't the militias handle it, then?

Partly because any Chaos mage that lives past a few years old needs to be very, very good at hiding from them, and partly because local militias don't tend to be any more inclined to get killed by a Chaos mage than the Chaos mage is inclined to get killed by them. There are an abundance of smaller villages that Chaos mages can prey on instead.

Teboho scowls, since the implication is obvious. Everyone he used to know other than his sister is dead. That's… insane to think about. It's a miracle he and Kagiso can still function. Maybe the thought of revenge is all that's keeping them going. …Though maybe not, since Kagiso doesn't seem to react at all. Perhaps she's just not listening to the conversation.

So how do I go about learning that aura sight spell, then? I ask. Magic magic magic! More magic!!!

I think it might be wise if you start by learning the local language, Sindri answers. Just for the sake of convenience. Teboho, if we could switch the lesson plan up a bit?

Oh, certainly, he agrees to my immense disappointment. His magical wheel diagram disappears and is soon replaced with an alphabet tablet. Shall we review, Hannah?

I groan internally, but agree. Knowing how to understand what everyone is saying does seem important. So the lesson begins. And continues. And continues. …And continues.

This world, I note, does appear to have a sun. This is pretty obvious, since as the hours pass the glowing, flaming pain-ball very clearly moves across the sky above our heads. It's often hard to see it between the branches and the leaves, but it's there. For obvious reasons I'm avoiding looking at it too much, yet my gaze still wanders up to it every so often. There's something weird about it that I can't quite seem to put my claw on, but I suppose this is a fantasy world. I shouldn't expect the light source for a magical world tree to be anything like the one I have back home on Earth. Whatever's bugging me, I don't figure it out before the glowing ball descends below the branch, cutting it off from view. But not, apparently, cutting off most of the light.

Instead, a muted, sunset-like glow washes over everything, the world colored vaguely green as the majority of light reflecting down on us first bounces off of the leaves above. It quickly gets cooler out, which I personally find quite welcome, but despite the sun setting below what counts for our horizon it does not appear to be getting any darker from here.

This is kind of pretty, I comment. What's nighttime like? Does it ever get darker than this?

Yes, Teboho confirms. The sky will darken again when the great flame dips underneath the Slaying Stone, then once again when it moves to the opposite side of the Mother Tree. The fire up above will provide some light through the night, but we're too low for it to do much.

We'll have to make camp soon, Sindri comments. We probably won't make it to Grawlaka for another couple days.

A pit of dread settles inside me at the thought of having to wake up as a 'human' again, not knowing what horrifying changes I've managed to force onto my body. Will tonight be the day that I'm finally discovered? Did I screw myself already? I feel myself start to knead Kagiso's hair, running my legs through the long strands of white for a while before a given leg moves out of synch with her slice of space, letting the hair fall right 'through' me. I immediately get embarrassed when I catch myself doing it, but then Kagiso makes a quiet but happy trill. Permission to keep going, if not an outright request. Hesitantly, I continue, taking care not to accidentally cut her. My legs aren't that sharp without magic enhancing them, but they're still clawed.

You really get along well with her, Teboho says after a while. I realize he's been staring at us and embarrassment immediately returns.

Is there a reason we wouldn't get along? I counter defensively.

Don't like smelly people, Kagiso murmurs. Loud people. Nosy people. Tall people. Blue people.

Wait, do you know anybody that's blue? I ask.

She thinks for a moment.

No, she admits. But wouldn't like them if I did. Blue is not an accurate color.

And green is not a creative color? I supply, knowing that probably zero other people in this entire universe get the reference.

Hmm. That is good to know, Kagiso nods, taking me seriously.

See, this is what I mean. Teboho chuckles. What are you two on about?

We are vibing about colors, obviously, I tell him. Colors are neat. I'm feeling kind of yellow right now, personally.

Mmm! Yellow is good, Kagiso says, nodding profusely and nearly flinging me off her head. Red is favorite though. Red is good. I like red.

Like blood, or…?

Yes, Kagiso confirms. I like blood.

I pause for a moment, trying to decide how I feel about that.

…Blood can be pretty, yeah, I conclude. It's not red when I'm looking at it my usual way, but I can 'see' the blood moving through your bodies. It's kind of hypnotizing the way it pumps around to the beat of your hearts.

Oh. Yes. I like that, Kagiso agrees, her four hands slowly clenching into fists, then unclenching, then clenching again. Helps you aim? Sindri. Make sensory share spell. You promised.

It's nowhere near the priority it used to be, since Hannah went and grew her own damn eyes without me, Sindri points out.

Make. The spell. I would like to see the blood, Sindri.

Well, when you put it like that, he chuckles.

Sindri. I want to watch your heart beat.

I think he's going to make it, Kagiso, I assure her. My heart is pretty interesting as well! It's much smaller than yours and less complex, lacking a lot of the chambers yours has.

Oooh, Kagiso trills happily. Well, I guess I found her hyperfocus. No wonder she likes hunting things for me so much.

How does 'making' a spell even work, anyway? I ask. I thought you had to discover your own spells.

You do, Sindri confirms. But this is the sort of spell I believe is part of my gifts. In the same way you're not born with knowledge of everything you can do, I'm not either. But I feel as though this is possible for me, so I'm trying to figure it out. My magic shares thoughts. Why shouldn't it share more complex thoughts, like sensory data?

I guess that makes sense, I agree.

We should get back to teaching you the language, Teboho chimes in, and I sigh. I suppose he's right.

Time passes until it finally starts getting dark. I feel like I just spent an entire school day in a single class. It's boring, but I'm good at handling boring things so I make decent progress. A simple set of mnemonics makes memorizing the alphabet easy enough, but the hard part is putting them together and learning words. It's not something I expect to get a handle on for weeks, but I'm pleasantly surprised by my progress. Learning the language is a lot easier than I thought it would be. Maybe Sindri's mind magic is helping somehow? I am in constant telepathic contact with three people who think in this language. I ask him, but he says he doesn't know. He's busy setting up camp so he doesn't really think about it too hard.

I cannot, unfortunately, delay the coming of night and the need for sleep. I try to, though, by volunteering for first watch. I don't want to go to sleep, don't want to face how badly I messed up back on Earth. But no amount of time being alone with my thoughts in the night has any hope of helping with my anxiety. When the candle clock melts down, I wake Sindri and wander into Kagiso's tent to sleep. I want to rest beside her, but I also want to dig a hole and hide in that to rest. It's so frustrating that, on a whim, I decide to scuttle into the bedroll with her, snuggling onto her fuzzy back with the blankets pressing down on top of me. I end up waking her up, but she seems happy with the arrangement and promptly passes out again. Ah, this is what I need. Cozy, warm, safe, and soft. The advantages of being the party's mascot, I suppose.

I fall asleep not long after her, and then I wake up. It's a relatively easy transition, unlike how gaining consciousness in my human body tends to go. Usually I find the whole experience quite jarring, but I went to sleep with so much dread that waking up with it just feels kind of natural. It's just me and my sleep paralysis demon now, no fuzzy maybe-albino alien girls to keep me company. Unfortunate, but that's life, I guess. Let's get this show on the road.

Limb one… nothing. Limb two is therefore probably also nothing, and… yep, I don't feel anything move. Limb three… ooh, that's my left arm. Which probably means limb four is my left leg, so I move that next, and… uh. Um. That doesn't feel right.

Oh geez, did I grow another limb? I quickly cycle through muscle groups and figure out where my actual arms and legs are, and yes, there's something extra. Crap, crap, crap, crap! I manage to sit up, twisting my body around to look at myself, but I don't see anything. What's going on? I feel something moving around my lower back, but I don't see it!

I scramble to my feet, hissing with displeasure as I put weight on my mutating leg. My blinds are closed so I go ahead and rip off all my clothes in my room, checking myself over. Agh, my leg is… wrong. The whole thing feels itchy, the skin from my knee to my foot sagging and clearly dead. That stuff is gonna fall off today, and I am not looking forward to ripping it into pieces to flush down the toilet. I feel around my other leg, looking for the signs of exoskeletal growth, but when I press too hard on my fingers pain shoots up them and they start to bleed. No, no, no! This is too much at once!

…And this isn't even the worst of it, is it? Advancements of prior changes in my legs. Expected matching changes in my hands. I quickly grab a handful of tissues to catch the blood from my now-leaking fingers. This is fine. All this, I was prepared for. What I was not prepared for are limbs five and six coming to life. I can move them. Now that I'm naked, I can watch them bend underneath my skin, pulling and deforming the sides of my abdominals like a fat, bony leech swimming through my body. I feel them, anchored to my spine a short way above my pelvis. I can move them, pushing on my intestines as they stretch for the first time. They're useless things, at least for now. Still trapped inside my soft epidermis, still small and ungrown. But they're there. My limbs. My fifth and sixth limbs that I'd always known I was missing. They're finally here.

Clack. I snap my teeth together, letting my lips twist into a grin. Anxiety and euphoria go to war inside my head and for the first time in a fucking year I feel euphoria win out. I should not be excited for this. I'm a freak, I'm going to get kidnapped or killed, this is going to ruin everything in my life. I should not be excited for this. But as I flex my budding limbs, I can't bring myself to feel anything else.

I am tempted, very tempted, to call on the magic again and accelerate this further, but then there's a knock on my door.

"Hannah!" my mother calls, and immediately I'm back in panic mode. Oh no oh geez what if she comes in!? No no no no no! I leap back onto my bed and throw the covers over my body.

"What's up, mom?" I say in as normal a way as I can. My voice only cracks a little.

"I'm running a little late, so could I shower first?" she asks.

Oh. Right. That makes sense. She doesn't use the same shower that my brother and I do, her bedroom has an attached bath. But she doesn't like showering at the same time as anyone else for water pressure and temperature reasons, and frankly I agree with her on that.

"...Sure!" I answer. "I'll grab breakfast first?"

"Thank you dear!" my mother calls, and leaves me a panicked, disorganized mess. What was I thinking? Accelerating the changes further would just… agh, shoot, I'm bleeding on my sheets! Nooo! I forgot about my stupid bloody fingers! I peel myself out of bed again and get bandages on my newly-budding claws, putting gloves on overtop them. And now that I'm entirely naked except for those gloves I fish out my dirty clothes from yesterday and quickly put them on. I'll get clean clothes on after I shower, thank you very much.

Underneath my shirt, I flex limbs five and six, and my body shudders. No time for that, though. I head downstairs so I can grab more eggs without anyone around to look at me.

I've gotta keep pretending to be human, after all.